Supplements… Are they Worth the Bucks?

Please keep in mind that I am not a medical scientist, I’m a personal trainer who loves helping people achieve their health and fitness goals.  This is my personal opinion on supplements and whether or not they are worth the big bucks.

I’ll start by saying that I love supplements and I know that man professional bodybuilders/athletes need them, but that’s not what I am writing this to address.  I’m writing this to address the average everyday person who works out no more than once a day, six times a week.

Supplements are a tricky topic; it’s a 50/50 for/against argument.  Many people live by them, but many will not touch them.  I agree with both sides to a point.  If you’re an average gym goer, chances are you do not need all the supplements listed in the magazines, but you will need a high quality Protein supplement.  If you’re a hardcore bodybuilder or athlete you really don’t need me to tell you what to take, you probably have a great selection of top quality supplements to keep you at the top level.

I’d like to focus on some of the main types of supplements on the market today:

1. Protein Powders: This is the only supplement that has withstood the test of time for me.  Protein is a huge key in all of our diets, whether we work out or not.  Protein is one of the most neglected nutrients.  The average male needs at least 120g of protein a day, which doesn’t seem like much, but it actually is, depending on your diet.  A protein supplement, I believe, is necessary in all our diets today.
2. Protein Bars:  I used to live by these, one-a-day, but after noticing how high many of the popular brands are in saturated fats I stick to one-a-week.  If you’re looking for a good protein bar, make sure the fat content is below 8g, and it contains at least 20g of protein.
3. Creatine:  I was using Creatine for a long time and didn’t really notice much of a change in my athletic performance.  I’ve used several brands and have had the same results.  I’ve also noticed that the longer I take Creatine, the more cramping I feel in my muscles.  Creatine works different on every person, if you’ve used it and you feel like it works, keep using it.  But if you don’t notice a difference, you probably don’t need it.
4. Fat Burners: I used a fat-burner when I was overweight and it did work.  But so does a balanced diet and exercise.  These products usually aren’t necessary.  But if they help motivate you and keep you in the gym, I’m all for them.
5. Energy Drinks:  I used to live on Energy Drinks in the gym, now I steer clear.  Way too much sugar, and I usually found myself crashing within 30 minutes of drinking them.  If you need an energy drink, pick one with no sugar; you’ll save yourself 200 calories or more.

I know that there are a lot more supplement options to choose from on the market today, but those are the 5 that I hear the most about.  My final verdict on supplements is this: Everybody needs a good protein powder, other than that it’s pick and choose.  If you take something and feel that it’s helping you by all means keep taking it.  That leads to my original question, Are Supplements worth the Money?  My answer is Yes, if they help motivate you and keep you in the gym.  That being said, I don’t feel that supplements are 100% necessary to success, but they can offer that extra bit of help.

One more thing, when buying supplements be sure to comparison shop, and always check expiration dates.  Getting burned on expiration dates sucks, it’s basically throwing money down the drain.

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Thank you,

Randall of Randalls-eBooks (http://stores.ebay.com/Randalls-eBooks)